San Antonio daily light. [volume] (San Antonio, Tex.) 1886-1907, 1887-02-14

! about his lncapaeity to catch a likeness.
II cannot make the people paint impress
me. One race follows another swiftly and
my model fits away with these spocters.
| Now, only one thing can impress face up
on my mind, feel sure impress II so that
1t will stay by me and haunt me by day and
| print itself on my soul at night. | have
thought IL all over. There Is but one way.
God help mel must commit crime. I
must kill some onel That face-his face
will haunt me. shall see only that and
| can paint It. You see, am quite calm in
this matter. have reasoned the thing out.
l am good man; my bitterness of spirit
| will harass me into work. | shall hold my
| brush with remorse. / shall paint great,
terrible pcturer'
Great heayensl Gleason was right. This
| Is 4 mailman, l thought, and glanced about
with my mental eye to take in the situation.
II must be strategy versus strength. | saw
that at a glance. | must not betray the
slightest fear. His plan was settled. 1
must plot TO defeat it, In the first place I
must gain time. This might be only wild
talk.
'Wh0m do you propose to kill?' inquir-
ed nonchalantly, although my heart seemed
TO stand still as waited for his answer. He
lifted his oars, and could hear them drip,
drip in the moments silence.
II propose to drown man" he said.
''Then will tie him to my boat-this, my
boat, that you and are in and let him
doat | shall drink in the sight of that float
ing face in the dark water, with the noon
light about it, and the world that has scorn-
ed me will hold its breath"
"An original plan, indeed" / replied.
Have you chosen your mang'
81 have chosen you"
''You should have selected handsomer
face, or at least have made him shave before
starting. A bearded face in the water is
pshaw! very bad. Don't you see?"
My voice sounded steady, and was lost
in admiration of myself as a man of nerve.
"Don't you see?' repeated.
II shall see, for shall paint it'll You take
It coolly," he continued, cycling me warily.
My thoughts were flying about in confu-
sion. could not swim. Eaton knew it. /
am slight man, mere nothing to this
Hercules. No help, indeed, but by my wits.
If was cool so was he. / must try a new
tack, unsettle the fixed idea that anchored
his wild fancy and gave him this terrible
strength of purpose.
"A woman's face would have been better"
l suggested. something really poetic
about that now! All look therep cried,
an idea striking me, and pointing as / cried
out to the moon mirrored In the water. She
had risen, but had been cut off from us in
the heavens by ledge of rock at our LETT,
Just beyond this her counterfeit present
ment SlIOne round and full in the water
"LOok therep'
'WhGt do you see?' cried Eaton, his voice
trembling with excitement, his whole body
eagerly bent forward.
"A woman's face in the moon In the
wayesp called, gazing fxedly as if at
vision. "What abrooding face! What shad-
owy hair! What slow smile! And her
eyes! All! do you sec her eyesp She has
opened them! Have you killed herP"
81 swear to you, mop cried Eaton; 81
swear to you, mol know no such woman!
i have never killed herl 1 have not even
broken her heart! Tell me more about herw
"She Is young, very mystical, yet very
real, with smile at one side of her mouth,
while the other looks quite grave"
This was characteristic of Anita's mouth,
and 1t was she was describing as
fancied her grown older, for had not seen
her, scarcely indeed thought Of her, since
that day when we were children.
''It's a pity you can't paint her for me-"
said Eaton impetuously, as he gazed at the
moon. 81 don't quite see her, but she sounds
great"
81 might try to paint her tomorrow" 1
suggested, taking cigarette from my pOck-
ct, and relapsing into my calm manner
again.
you fOrget-to-mOrrOw will be too late.
But you shall paint her to-night-now, be-
fore l kill you"
He put up his oars as he spoke and came
f0warI m drawing a through hiQ
heavy hands. He was in a state of wild ex-
citement, and l felt my light airy manner
slipping away as he approached. L was
chilly as-as my watery grave was like to
be. Yet let him bind me hand and foot,
and instinctiyely counted his deep breaths
the while by way of something to do. A
lurch, a struggle, and l should have been
overheard and lost. Now that there seemed
chance for life, l was in terror, and l was
more than half out of my senses as / watch
ed my Charon lay me on the hither side of
his stream. He took me from the boat as IL
had been child. Then he built a fire.
II can mix colors by freight" he cried,
and christening my hands set his canvas
and easel before me, gave me a brush and
babe me begin.
For the life of me, and in spite of the
threatened death so near at hand, L could
but feel an interest in the freak.
II must do it in grays or browns. Unjust
be monochrome, or we shall ruin it." l
spoke impatiently. So l did it in grays.
The jut of black rock, the waves, the moon
resting on the waves, and little Anita's face,
with the half-solemn, half-smiling look up
on it.
The strange scene, the maniac beside me,
my own former fear and present excite
ment and the stirring of my fancy gave me
certain fictitious strength. In less than
an hour, as should think, l had finished
my sketch. 1t was certainly weird and, as
1t seemed to me, strong In the distance l
half suggested the boat, and two men in it,
one gazing eagerly toward the moon and the
face, and the other lying in the stern, his
arms over his head, his eyes toward the
heavens The boat and the men were small
and well in the shadow.
"Bravol bravOP cried Eaton. Don't
touch it againl Give me the brush! Here"
and snatChing it from my fingers he wrote
his name, Thomas Eaton" in bold black
letters under the boat. This is my work,
remember-mine, not yours. 1t will be
great success, and yOu''-he paused and
looked at me-''you have saved your life"
Saying which he jumped into his boat with
my sketch, laughed a harsh, bleak sort of
laugh, and rOwed away around the ledge of
rock.
For few moments | sat still thinking it
| over-the strange, ridiculous yet almost
tragic scenes. II am not sure that little
Anita didn't save my life after ALL" 1
| thoupht tn mySplf